The present invention relates to a method for checking the number of individuals regarding microorganisms included in a sample and, more particularly, to a method for examining microorganisms having a fluorescent characteristic with respect to a specific wavelength, which is capable of accurately calculating the number of individuals of microorganisms which are included in a sample and have a fluorescent characteristic with respect to a specific wavelength.
The present invention relates to a method for examining microorganisms.
In particular, in the case of microorganisms, such as plankton having a fluorescent characteristic for blue-series light having a wavelength of 380 nm to 480 nm, the check of the number of individuals of the microorganisms is treated as very important in order to protect a marine ecosystem from pollutions attributable to ballast water in addition to a detailed check and research for an algal bloom or red tide phenomenon.
The check of the number of individuals of microorganisms is measures for preventing damage to the marine ecosystem attributable to ballast water included in a vessel travelling between countries. If a vessel that has departed from a specific area discharges ballast water in order to lie in another area, processing for plankton included in the ballast water which may threaten the marine ecosystem of another area needs to be first performed.
In particular, in order to prevent ecological and economic damage which may be generated by a movement of ballast water and to preserve biological diversity, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted “International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM)” on February 2004.
Specifically, methods which may be used to process ballast water according to the criteria of the adopted convention may be basically divided into two kinds. The first is an in-line processing method, and the second is an in-tank processing method. The in-line processing method is a method for processing ballast water when the ballast water is introduced and discharged. The in-tank processing method is a method for processing ballast water on the voyage after the ballast water is introduced. Current international ballast water processing technologies include the in-line processing method. In the in-tank processing method, the size of a processing apparatus may be reduced compared with the in-line processing method, but efficiency is practically reconsidered because processing speed needs to be conditioned by taking hours under way into consideration.
In both the methods, the number of individuals of problematic plankton included in ballast water is checked, a corresponding proper processing method is capable of being selected, and an examination regarding whether problematic plankton included in discharged ballast water has been processed according to criteria must be performed by performing the final examination for ballast water discharged before the processed ballast water is discharged.
However, an expert examination method for checking the number of individuals of microorganisms, such as problematic plankton included in ballast water, has not been provided so far.
In an existing method for examining microorganisms, such as plankton included in ballast water, only a method for photographing a sample and determining, by an expert, the number of individuals of problematic plankton included in the photographed sample by determining an image of the sample with the naked eye is performed. Such an existing method has a problem in that it is very difficult to accurately calculate the number of individuals of microorganisms, such as problematic plankton included in a sample.
Furthermore, an existing method for examining microorganisms including plankton has a problem in that it is difficult to check the accurate number of individuals of microorganisms because it is difficult to distinguish various alien substances from each other and to distinguish active microorganisms and inactive microorganisms from each other.
A background art of the present invention is disclosed in Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-1995-7001601, etc., but does not suggest a solution for the aforementioned problems.